Our View: Curb the toxic politics and clear the air

President Barack Obama's plan announced Monday, aiming for a 30 percent cut in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 2030, is being cheered by those who want to curb pollution and reduce greenhouse gases, while it's blasted by those skeptical of the effects of greenhouse gases on climate change. Some environmenta...

President Barack Obama’s plan announced Monday, aiming for a 30 percent cut in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 2030, is being cheered by those who want to curb pollution and reduce greenhouse gases, while it’s blasted by those skeptical of the effects of greenhouse gases on climate change. Some environmentalists have questioned whether reducing total U.S. emissions by 17 percent by 2020 would be enough to stabilize the Earth’s temperatures. It’s important to step back from the toxic politics surrounding this issue and look at the anti-pollution plan rationally.

Obama’s directive is a long-overdue step for our nation, which has lagged behind much of the industrialized world in addressing climate change. While it may be a bitter pill to swallow for some regions of the country, the plan is a win for Massachusetts, as it will create federal incentives for the actions we’ve already been taking and create more incentives for alternative energy production.

Our commonwealth has already taken big steps toward reducing emissions — both independently and with other states under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. If more states join in the program to help them meet the federal mandate, it could create a larger market to help drive down our region’s high energy costs.

The approach states take to meet the mandate may mirror the cap-and-trade policies already in place at a state level throughout much of the Northeast. In fact, the commonwealth may have little heavy lifting to do under Obama’s plan, as it has already made great strides in reducing such pollution since 1990. Massachusetts is 40 percent below 1990 greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to cut those emissions by 50 percent by 2020, particularly with the closure of some of the state’s largest polluters, including the impending closure of Somerset’s Brayton Point Power Plant.

Meanwhile, the market-based cap-and-trade program has generated $252 million from the sale of carbon credits. That money has been reinvested in energy efficiency and clean-technology programs. Other states may be looking to Massachusetts as they begin developing their own emissions reduction plans.

Given our region’s geography, capping pollution nationwide should make us all breathe easier; our region tends to be the tail pipe for pollution from the west. Obama’s plan empowers states with flexibility to decide how to reach their targets, which vary from state to state.

There are still many questions associated with the plan, which is projected to cost up to $8.8 billion annually in 2020. Costs may vary widely depending on how states choose to implement their pollution reduction plans. While Obama framed his plan as lowering energy costs by relying less on fossil fuels and creating jobs in clean energy, that claim may be dubious if “clean” technology does not keep pace with demand for affordable energy.

Page 2 of 2 - However, this directive could also significantly help regions like ours, where market forces have already begun to force the transition from a reliance on coal-fired power plants. Federal incentives could further help communities like Somerset, which had relied on the fossil fuel industry for jobs and tax revenue, while the entire region has relied on fossil fuels to meet its energy needs. As our nation’s aging coal-fired power plants become obsolete, there need to be viable alternatives that can be developed and delivered affordably.

While climate change is very much a hot-button issue and a rational debate ought to continue about the proper ways to address it, the U.S. must no longer allow its political divides and corporate influence to stymie long-overdue action. A balanced, market-based solution providing the proper incentives for clean energy technologies could go a long way toward addressing the climate issue and reducing pollution, while meeting our nation’s energy needs for the 21st century. Those on all sides ought to curb the toxic politics, quit the scare tactics, and work together toward achieving the reasonable anti-pollution goals presented by the president.